The Weeknd - Starboy

The Weeknd
Starboy
2016
Spotify

The state of The Weeknd comes into stark contrast on the song "Reminder" when he says "I just won a new award for a kids show/talkin bout a face numbing off a bag of blow". This is his life, this wild chasam between family friendly pop star and party god. He walks that line so well on this shimmering new record and incorporates music royalty to help him along the way. With names like Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar and Lana Del Rey success was never far off. The album kicks off with the title track "Starboy" and the Daft Punk produced track sets the tone for the album somewhere between a love song and a spaceship. Daft Punk sort of hovers around the entire record even though they did not produce the whole thing. On "Secrets" The Weeknd combines a pulsating back beat with a smooth guitar track it feels warm and familiar while still seemingly like it just teleported here from the year 2099. There is this sense that The Weeknd is hurting and reaching out, but at the same time also wildly in love to the point of madness.

The Michael Jackson comparisons are right on the surface, but what makes The Weeknd different is just how dark He is willing to go. He is ready to split himself wide open if it means making you understand what is in his head. If there is anything to be said it may be that there is a bit to much autotune throughout. You miss The Weeknd full voice and when Kendrick Lamar comes in on "Sidewalks" it is a welcome break from the robot voice. At just over an hour Starboy is substantial but for the most part it jus sails by. The record also manages to be unified with an almost love, sex, magic, space, robot, yacht theme but it is different enough track to track to stay exciting. The singles are maybe the some of the weaker tracks which means that the depth of this album is so incredibly rich. The future boogie style is on so much display on this record with each track having that really great bounce to it. Starboy is yet another triumph in The Weeknd's ever expanding list of them and who knows what drug he may be accepting his Kid's Choice award for.

8.9 out of 10